SfS VI: The Future....Today

18 years after the Battle of Yavin...
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Mir
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SfS VI: The Future....Today

Post by Mir »

OOC:

Old thread is here: viewtopic.php?t=8210

Continue.
Everyone knows "Pops and Junior = #Ratings"
Everyone knows "Cazzik and Mir = #Wynning"
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Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn shook her head in resignation. "You'll find out when you're older," she told him. Then she crossed the room over to her bed and plopped down on the mattress, taking care not to dump Sal from her shoulder.
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Post by Mir »

Salvatore shook his head. It didn't make sense to him. But then again a lot of things didn't. To him, it would have made more sense for Akain and Caitlyn to share a room. They were around each other enough. But maybe there were problems, but a second bed could solve that. He'd bring it up to Caitlyn later. For now, it was play time.

He jumped forward and landed on Caitlyn's stomach, knocking some of the wind out of her. He went to his back and wriggled. His head was hanging over one end of her, his tail sticking out the other. As he wiggled, his paws came up and he swiped at one of Caitlyn's hand. "Story time!"
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Post by Mir »

He'd slept long enough, she decided. It had been a couple hours. Sona moved through the hallways with relative ease now. Whereas before, she hadn't been known to many people and had gotten a few looks, particularly from the single male population of the Temple, people knew her now as the girl that the guy with no mouth had arrived with on the back of a skreev. Which was kinda cool if you thought about it. It had earned her more attention from the single male population of the Temple, but Sona didn't mind this.

She stopped outside of Kail's room and lifted a hand to knock. She realized that his door wasn't unlocked and let herself in. She had figured that he would be awake by now, but she'd been wrong. He was on his stomach, sleeping. She struggled with a moment's temptation to wake him up by plugging his nose. After all, with no mouth, it was the only way for him to breathe, that she knew of. Sona walked over to where he was. His eyes were closed and she could hear his breathing, though it wasn't snoring.

Her hand reached out and she undid the translator that was on his arm. It was leaving a mark on his skin as it was being pushed into his arm. It was probably uncomfortable. Then, she turned and walked to the table in his room putting it on the table. She knew that he hadn't eaten anything and would probably be hungry, and she'd been willing to use Tone's kitchenette and make something for him, but since he couldn't actually eat anything, it kind of made the gesture pointless in the practical sense. Maybe he would have appreciated the thought behind it.

She stood at the table and thought about going back to her room as opposed to waking him up and asking the question that had been in her mind ever since she’d left his room earlier. Odds were he’d be upset with her for waking him up. It was then that Sona cringed at the thought. Not of him being upset with her, but the thought of her honestly caring that he’d be upset. She was a woman. He was a man. Where she was from, men took orders and better yet, they liked it.

Mind made up, Sona walked over to him and slid her fingers through his hair. “Kail, wake up.” Nothing, no response at all. The Silserian rolled her eyes and lightly tugged on his somewhat long hair. Nothing, no response at all. Again. She decided to try to speak to him telepathically. She hadn’t been sure, but she’d thought that it had worked the last time she had tried. He’d never given any indication if it had or hadn’t. Still, it was worth a shot and had a direct connection as to why she was waking him up in the first place. She doubted it would work, but she screwed up her face, making it look comical, though that wasn't her intention as she tried to project the thought out as best as she could.

{{Kail, honey, wake up.}}
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Post by Archangel »

Renato sighed as the simulator again announced his death. He was having difficulty manipulating the ability he had come to call technopathy over the long term. Seven times now he had begun in earnest, only to lose control after less than five minutes of interaction. The machine would converse with him, he would control the Defender starfighter simulation aptly and with ease, and then he would lose it - and, relying only on what his console told him, he would quickly fail the simulation.

Ensign Verroth had been patient, but he was beginning to suspect some trouble. He said as much: "Having problems, sir?" he asked, unsure of the rank of the man he was addressing. "I can change the difficulty settings, if you'd like."

"No," Renato replied, "This is a matter of control over the Force, not skill in the pilot seat. Restart the simulation one more time; if I don't get it this time, we'll call it a day and get some rest."

Verroth acknowledged and restarted the simulation. Renato grasped the control stick and reached out with the Force. The simulator sprang to life and information started pouring in. Images sprang before his mind's eye of the Defender starfighter leaving the Skywalker's docking bay, facing off against four enemy snubfighters - TIE Interceptor configuration. He checked his starboard flank, where he found his wingman - piloted by Verroth in one of the other simulators.

"S-foils into attack position," Renato said over the comm; Verroth clicked acknowledgment. The young Jedi targeted the lead Interceptor and popped a few shots off at a distance, expecting the enemies to break formation to avoid them.

His expectations were, of course, accurate; two broke starboard, two port. Renato fired maneuvering jets and headed after the port pair; Verroth stayed in formation, covering his back.

For Renato, his Defender practically responded to his thoughts; controlled as much by the Force as by his hands, the starfighter was highly agile. That became absolutely necessary as the pair he was pursuing split and swung around, their paths forming a heart shape as they converged on him and Verroth. They focused their fire on his craft, but he rolled port and dove, their fire passing harmlessly over him. Verroth rolled starboard, missing the Interceptor on that side by only a few meters.

Utilizing the high maneuverability of his Defender, Renato fired one maneuvering jet forward and the other backward, spinning his fighter in a perfect one-hundred-eighty degree turn to pick up the pursuit of the lead craft. Verroth took a lazier turn to come behind the other fighter.

Unable to break his pursuit, the simulated TIE pilots led their enemies straight toward the other pair of fighters, which were rapidly approaching. Renato knew he had to end this chase now, or he and Verroth would be drastically outnumbered and would be quickly defeated. He steadied his craft and waited for the juking Interceptor to pass in front of him, as it inevitably would - the simulator was assuming that he would be trying to follow those movements. He saw the shot before the reticule blinked, and he opened fire, leading the Interceptor just enough. The shots pierced the cockpit of the Interceptor, striking the engines and ripping the ball from the panels; each piece went hurtling in a different direction.

Checking forward again, Renato saw both new Interceptors converging on Verroth, determined to clear the aft of the remaining Interceptor to make destroying Renato's craft much easier. Wasting no time, Renato pushed his craft forward as fast as it would go, he approached the Interceptors where their silhouette would be greatest - the side. He opened fire on the first target, perforating its solar panel. With some maneuvering control lost, the vessel pirouetted away from the fight, unable to cause more trouble.

Verroth closed on his target, following its movements exactly. Renato had to hand it to the Vultan; he knew his flying. Renato could tell that the movements were too unpredictable to get a clear shot; looking more closely, he saw the markings of an ace on that Interceptor. The young Jedi suspected it that the simulator would be pulling out all the stops to win this fight. At the moment, though, Renato was more worried about the last Interceptor, which would soon be strafing across his wingman.

That pilot, however, did something unexpected. He passed over the chase between Verroth and the ace and headed straight for Renato. Noticing just in time, Renato did a barrel roll to port, juking back right as he passed the enemy, hoping to get behind him. The agile Interceptor saw his move coming, though, and had not even fired beforehand; instead, he made a tight turn to starboard, coming in behind Renato as he reoriented himself. The Jedi caught it too late this time, just as a laser burst cut through his starboard S-foil. Those maneuvering jets lost, he had to rely on the standard maneuverability of the vessel's engines and the port thrusters.

No longer more agile than the Interceptor pursuing him, Renato knew he was in trouble. He angled back toward Verroth, who was still trying to get a bead on the ace.

That was the moment he lost control through the Force. Flying nearly blind, he took a rolling dive to starboard, following by a juke - still starboard - and pulling back up. He began a series of nearly random maneuvers, hoping they were enough to keep him alive. He closed his eyes, reaching into the Force, trying to regain control. Trying to motivate himself, he told himself over and over again that this was no simulation, that it was real - and that if he did not get control, then both he and Verroth would be dead within a few minutes, at best.

That meant no more strolls in the forest with Tone, no more sparring with Muir droids at the Academy, no more learning telepathy with Master Araya. He would be dead. He stretched into the Force again and pulled, and his control came back in a flash - in time for him to see Verroth's craft burst into flames as the ace lanced a dozen holes in the cockpit paneling.

Renato cursed and rolled that direction, opening fire on the ace as he tried to swoop past overhead. The tri-linked laser cannons spat fire at the enemy vessel, and the ace - which was probably simulating surprise at Renato's suddenly controlled and accurate movements - went out in a fiery explosion.

Renato checked his aft, where he found the last Interceptor still tight on him. The would-be pilot decided to try something a little crazy; with only one S-foil, he knew he had less overall maneuverability - but he also knew that he still had one working thruster on the port side. He fired it up in the same direction he was going, knowing it would push him in a slight starboard turn, but it also increased his speed enough to put a bit of distance between him and his pursuer. When he gauged the distance great enough, he cut engine power completely, keeping his ship moving forward entirely by momentum.

As the Interceptor lined up and closed, he knew that it was about to get a shot. He felt it as the ship curved toward him. Suddenly, he fired the maneuvering thruster in full reverse, throwing his port side backward as his ship tried to continue forward on its own. Halfway through the turn, he put his main thrusters on full power, sending his ship soaring off to the Interceptor's port side as its shots burned harmlessly past. Expecting the other's maneuver, Renato rolled to starboard as the Interceptor rolled to port, trying to come behind him again, and lined up straight-on with the enemy.

Renato, confident in his shot, fired first.

The enemy Interceptor exploded in a spectacular fireball just as its shots nipped the side of Renato's Defender, shorting out his engines. Cutting power, he prevented his ship from going into a spin, which meant he could be picked up after the battle.

The simulator powered down and opened up. Verroth was standing there, shaking his head and smiling; a woman was there with him, a human, with long blond hair and a body to die for. Renato could not help but notice her.

"Good job, rookie," she said to him as he climbed out of the simulator. "I never saw that one coming."

He smiled, realization dawning on him. "You were flying that last Interceptor," he said, not asking. She nodded. "Why didn't you fly the ace?" he asked, "You're certainly skilled enough."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I guess," she returned, "But sometimes the best enemy isn't the one sporting ace's colors, and besides, I wanted to give you and Verroth here a challenge on your last run." She interrupted him as he was about to ask her another question, answering it for him, "And I went after you and not Verroth because I know I can mop the floor with Verroth any day of the week. You were the unpredictable one."

She seemed completely undisturbed by his eyes, and the fact that he was a Jedi seemed irrelevant to her. Renato was surprised to find someone so calm - and yet, so endearingly arrogant - among the pilots temporarily stationed on the Skywalker. "I'm Renato Farani," he said, extending a hand to her.

She snorted derisively, smirking. "I know who you are, rookie," she said, "And don't think this makes us friends. You got lucky." She eyed him for a moment and then winked at Verroth before walking off.

As Renato dropped his hand, Verroth explained, "She's Lieutenant Phoebe Shain. She's the best pilot we've got on board, and you just showed her up." He glanced at the young Jedi. "Which means you probably got some of the highest praise she's ever given anybody."

Renato nodded a little. "She was right, though," he said, "I got lucky."

Verroth shrugged. "That's the Force for you." He handed Renato a pile of datapads. "These are for you. Captain dropped 'em off a couple minutes ago."

Renato took them and nodded his thanks to the Vultan. "I guess I'll be heading back to the Academy. See you around, Ensign." Verroth nodded back, and Renato headed back to the hangar for a shuttle ride back to Onderon, where he could not imagine doing anything but sleeping.
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Post by Halomek »

“I’m positive that Caitlyn cares about you,” Kalja assured Akain. “She just happens to be dealing with a lot of issues right now. Would you mind if I made a suggestion?”

Akain shook his head.

“Caitlyn is a very self-reliant girl, she had to be to survive by herself on the streets of Coruscant. Perhaps the reason she’s hitting you is because you’re always saving her. I think that in some way, she resents it. If she gets herself in trouble, I’m sure she wants to be the one to get herself out of trouble too.” Kalja placed her hands on her lap. “To her, having you always save her must feel like you’re smothering her. Give her some room to breathe.”

“But, that doesn’t make any sense!” Akain protested. “Why shouldn’t I rescue her if she’s in trouble?”

“All I’m saying is give Caitlyn the benefit of the doubt before you go charging in,” Kalja urged him. “Think back on your own experiences in life. Would you be as strong as you are today if somebody kept saving you every time you were in trouble? Trust me on this, if you give Caitlyn her space, I’m sure she will becomes much friendlier towards you.”

***

Kail opened his eyes to find Sona staring right back at him. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at Sona’s term of affection. Even though his translator was no longer on his arm, his voice was emitted from it anyway.

“Honey?”
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Post by Mir »

"Of course I wouldn't be as strong. The problem is that I never had anybody to save me, never anyone I could count on." Akain replied. He took a couple steps away before looking back at Kalja. "If she's friendlier to me over time, but keeps getting in over her head and I don't save her or at least help her, there's going to come a time when she goes too far. She pushes the boundaries and risks her life every time. I'd rather her hate me and be alive than have been friendly towards me and have died."

Akain looked away again. "Besides, nearly every time after she punches me I can see the look on her face that shows she's grateful that I was there and I can feel it coming from her through the Force. I don't see how she could be resenting it, unless she's lying through her natural reactions and thoughts through the Force."

=-=-=-=-=

"It was just me being friendly." Sona said, realizing only now what she had said, and covering for herself. She hadn't meant for that to come out, and definitely wasn't entertaining thoughts in that regard. Okay, maybe a few, but nothing that should have made her say something like that to him. She smiled then. "So, how are you feeling? Are you all rested?"
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Post by Halomek »

“How long has it been?”

“A few hours.”

Kail sat up and looked at her again. “Only a few hours? Is there something wrong? Something urgent?” He stretched and felt sore all over, but some warm-ups would help to deal with that. “I was expecting to be out until tomorrow morning.”

***

“Are you sure you’re not misinterpreting what you’re feeling from her?” Kalja asked him. “I have no doubt that she’s always glad to see you, but is it due to you rescuing her, or is it because she’s just happy to see you after her ordeal?”

“And you must examine the other issues here. You became stronger because nobody was there to save you. What about Caitlyn? Does she want to become stronger? Do you want her to become stronger? All the training in the world can only prepare her for so much. You know as well as I do that it’s no substitute for real experience.” She looked at Akain with concern. “Where will that experience come from if you’re always there to bail her out when things get tough?”
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Post by Mir »

"Nothing urgent, but I figured that it was time to get up. I also had a question on my mind for you." She said. He looked at her, a little confused. "Don't use your translator." She said. "I want to learn how to speak telepathically, like you do. You can teach me. I...I don't have any real way to repay you for your help though..."

=-=-=-=-=

"No, I'm not misinterpreting anything." Akain said. "There's a difference between her getting experience and learning and Caitlyn putting herself in a situation where she came extremely close to getting killed." He said, his anger starting to slowly, slowly rise. "No word of warning, no concern about what I was going to go through, she just makes decisions on her own and doesn't think about anyone else when she's doing it. Only afterwards, when I come in, does she remember I even exist, because I'm saving her and then she's all grateful for all of two minutes."
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Post by Halomek »

Kalja nodded as she finally got some insight into why her formerly emotionally detached student had become so angry as of late. “Please calm down, Akain. There’s no reason to start getting upset. Have you tried explaining any of this to Caitlyn? Does she know how you feel, or are you assuming she knows?”

She stood and walked over to his side, putting a gentle hand on his arm so he would turn to look at her. “When it comes to matters of the heart, not even the Force is as reliable as an open and direct conversation.”

***

Kail stood and shucked his jacket and his shirt, leaving him nude from the waist up with the exception of a light blue crystal amulet that he wore around his neck. It was another situation where he was unconcerned about modesty. {{Have you forgotten?}} he asked Sona as he moved to his kitchenette and took out a small glass vial from the cold storage compartment. It was topped by a thin metal covering at both ends, and filled with a white liquid.

He loaded the vial into a gun-like device before placing it against his arm and pushing the trigger. He left it there as the liquid was injected into his system. {{I’ve already asked you to help me resist Silserian pheromones. We can consider me teaching you how to speak telepathically as a fair exchange.}}

When the liquid was gone, Kail removed the device and put the expended vial into a container with several other used vials, one of their metal tops clearly punctured. There wasn’t a trace of the injection on his arm. When Kail noticed Sona staring, he explained: {{My meal for the day,}} he said to her with a little humor. {{The injector gun is tipped by a series of molecular needles that bypass the skin. My people spent a of time researching this technology since outsiders tended to think we were all drug addicts when we used less advanced methods.}}
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Post by kashus_Draith »

A lone Victory-class Star Destroyer exited out of hyperspace and settled on the outskirts of the System of Onderon.

A young Junior Officer walks up to the two higher ranking officers.

“Captain Owens, the jump was successful and there appears to be nothing on our scanners. We’re completely alone.” The Junior Officer reported.

“Thank you Ensign.” The Captain replies dismissing the Ensign back to his station. The Captain turns to face the man standing beside him. “So why are we way out here on the fringes of this particular star system Commander Sears?” The Captain asks but knew that he wouldn’t get a real answer from the Intelligence Officer.

“Captain, you and I know that I can’t reveal anything that might compromise the mission. Your purpose for this mission is to provide the necessary backup that will be needed for this mission. I will inform you on need to know bases , Captain.”

“Well, in that case I’ll be in my quarters. Lieutenant Franklin you have the Bridge.”

“Aye, Captain.” The young Lieutenant walked up to Commander Sears and stood beside him.


I walked across the command Bridge with Lieutenant Franklin in tow and stopped in front of the forward window and gazed out across open space and watched the beautiful sight that was the Onderon System.

“So how do you like the Enigma, Commander?” The Lieutenant asked hoping for a positive response.

“I believe it is a fine ship and that the crew is exceptionally proficient. I can see you show a lot of promise Lieutenant, and I might recommend you to the Bored of Command for a possible command of your own when I get back to Coruscant.” I gave the young Lieutenant a glimmer of hope for a possible promotion, even though I was lying about the whole thing. The ship was a little relaxed, but who could blame them they haven’t seen action since the war.

“Thank you very much, Commander.” Lt. Franklin said with a smile that reached ear to ear.

I smirked at the thought. I do love to play on peoples emotions. He’ll start seeing me as not just some stiff neck Imperial Officer from Coruscant, but will start seeing me as someone to strive to be. I know I will have to play with his emotion even more and do better than just complement the ship and crew and give him a sense of hope. See that’s the funny thing. People are easily manipulated when you find out what drives them. With the young Lieutenant it’s his strive to be the best Imperial Officer in the Empire. Sorry to say, his Captain doesn’t share the Lieutenants enthusiasm. The Captain is going to go to his quarters and open up a bottle of his favorite liquor and drink himself into a stupor, because the Captain is a washed up old Imperial Captain that’s been passed over for promotion way to many times. The Captain has a strong sense that the only reason why they haven’t relieved him of his command yet is, because of the shortage of seasoned commanders.

“Lieutenant, I need you to prep a Lumnda-class shuttle and have ready a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers. I’m going to be going to the planet of Onderon.”

“Yes, Commander Sears.”

“Also, make sure Captain Owens doesn’t get too drunk.”

“Uh, yes Commander Sears.” The Lieutenant said with a surprised look on his face.
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Post by Mir »

It seemed that Sal was the only person in the galaxy whose words or actions could get Akain to laugh. He didn't here, even though it would have been a sarcastic one. He was far from calm, despite Kalja's words. “Oh, she knows.”

“How does she know?” Kalja asked.

“Daria told her. She’s a JSI operative and was helping us when we were looking for you. We had just gotten in touch with your father and were in hyperspace, en route to meet with him. There was some kind of trouble between the two and I suggested that they talk it out. Apparently, somewhere in the conversation, Daria made it crystal clear how I felt.” Akain said. He moved away and Kalja’s hand fell to her side. “She’s had since then to tell me how she feels. She hasn’t said anything on the subject. If she did have feelings for me, she would have told me. If she did, even if she had been afraid to tell me, since she now knew that I had feelings for her, she would have been able to.” He said.

“So what are you saying?”

“The fact that she hasn’t said anything, and continues to fight with me on everything, tells me that she doesn’t have feelings for me.” Akain replied. “She hasn’t eased up on how mean she can get either. As a matter of fact, she’s only gotten worse about it. I shouldn’t be surprised though. She doesn’t tell me when she’s going to go get herself into a cage match of death, either. She knows how I feel, but isn’t at all concerned about what her so called heroics make me go through.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Sona held out her hand and Kail handed her the injector. She ran her finger over where he had pressed it to his skin. Nothing. She smiled. “It’s pretty interesting.” She said, and pressed it against her own arm, even though there was no vial attached. “I wonder what would happen if a non-Lin took one of your nutrient injections.” She said. She looked up at him as the injector went onto the table. “Like I said before, I have no real way of repaying you. I don’t know the way to resist the pheromones, and I don’t believe there even is a way. I can’t help you, I’m sorry.”
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Post by Archangel »

Radek glared past his lightsaber at his opponent. The G-547b Balin training droid hovered blankly before him, its own training lightsaber in a rote defensive stance. A few moments of silence passed as sweat, long since having beaded at Radek's forehead, rolled down into his eyes. Ignoring the burning sensation, he held his eyes open.

Realizing that its opportunity would not come as it anticipated, the training droid moved foward, simulating the footwork of a Djem So master. The droid, capable of the power normally requiring two hands with one of its own, launched a series of heavy attacks which Radek dodged more than parried. Darting around the blade of his opponent, Radek supposed that a human opponent would have tired long ago. The battle had, after all, lasted for twenty-four minutes already, and Radek himself was beginning to tire; he had been pulling on the Force nearly the entire time, channeling it into his Ataru fighting style. For the moment, he had taken a step back and switched to Makashi to catch his breath.

The droid swung hard left, feinted left again, then swung right. Radek followed the movements easily enough, deflecting them away from his body with simple parries. The droid dropped back - probably, as they often did, simulating the weariness of an organic opponent. Radek took that moment to return to full force.

He leapt forward with the aide of the Force, leading with his lightsaber as he spun on his arc. The droid slipped to one side, trying to bring its saber into Radek's body as he passed, but the young Jedi anticipated this reaction; he called on the Force to push his feet away from his foe so that he actually landed with one foot on the wall of the training area, facing the droid once again.

Radek was glad that the arena here was large enough for genuine Ataru acrobatics; in a normal room, his next maneuver would have put him into the next storey. Pushing off the wall, he flipped high, well out of his floating opponent's range, reaching the ceiling directly above the droid, which had clearly switched to Soresu.

Radek seemed to hover himself for several long moments. He dropped his lightsaber with his right hand, which was closer to the ceiling, catching it nimbly in his left; his now-empty right hand extended upward solidly, and with help from the Force, the motion sent Radek hurtling down toward the droid. He twisted, extending his left arm toward the backpedaling Balin.

Their lightsabers clashed and repelled. Radek landed on his feet, ending the motion with a Makashi flourish. He grinned at the droid, even though he knew it would not react to the expression. The droid, again pausing, seemed confused by Radek's rapid shift from total assault to calm defense. Another few long moments passed as the droid decided that it had Radek pegged; the Makashi flourish was a feint, it decided, and its opponent would call upon the Force again to dodge a forward attack and strike at its own back. Defense against Ataru was paramount, the Balin figured; it fit the Jedi's definite, albeit convoluted and distracting, pattern.

Radek simply stood, waiting, as the droid advanced. The training blade came out first, moving for a piercing strike at Radek's heart with the force of a charging bantha. Radek pulled on the Force, more for the sake of his viewing audience than for the impassive droid's, but did not leap as the droid had predicted. Instead, he simply twisted in place as the enemy thrust turned into an uppercut. By the time the droid realized its mistake, Radek's own blade was at its chin. Deactivating its blade and bowing slightly, the Balin retreated in defeat.

Radek released a long sigh as he deactivated his own blade and moved for the edge of the training area. Another Jedi, a Twi'lek, and a Knight to boot, by the look of him, approached him after he sat. "You could have ended that fight far earlier than you did," the Twi'lek said, not quite hiding his sneer. It was not a question.

Radek looked up at him, not phased by the sharp, carnivorous teeth showing through the other's expression. "Yeah," he returned, nodding, "I could have. Not as much fun, though."

The Twi'lek frowned. "Fun?" he asked contemptuously, "You spend half an hour wearing yourself thin against a droid and call it 'fun'?" He shook he head, his lekku barely moving with the gentle motion. "Besides that, since when was the life of a Jedi even meant to be fun? What if you had been fighting a Sith? Would you have been concerned with fun then?"

Radek furrowed his brow, appearing to consider this prospect. He made much of a show of hemming and hawing, even rubbing an imaginary beard with his hand before answering at last, "Well, gosh, I guess that would depend on whether or not he has as short a temper as you. I mean, if he does, you're damn right I'd be enjoying myself, just to piss him off."

The Twi'lek was clearly infuriated. He slapped Radek with the back of his hand, his face an indignant snarl.

Radek, naturally, did not take kindly to being struck. He was on his feet, his unignited lightsaber in hand, before the Twi'lek's hand was back at his side. Their eyes met, and the fires in each burned against the other. Utter silence reigned in the training area as the rest of the Jedi there stopped what they were doing. The tension was as dense as phrik. Neither Jedi was about to back down.

At long last, a smile spread across Radek's face. It was a wicked grin, at first, as if he were about to suck the Twi'lek's soul out of his eyes, but then it softened and Radek turned it into a hearty chuckle. He leaned back, clipping his lightsaber back to his belt, beginning to laugh freely. As his laughter turned contagious, even the Twi'lek cracked a smile.

Radek was shaking his head now, still laughing. "You thought I was gonna," he started, cutting himself off with his laughter. The Twi'lek started to laugh now. "Say," Radek began again, "Did you hear the one about the Twi'lek who jumped into the middle of a nuna-ball match on a dare and lost his lekku?"

The former soldier's left hand shot out and gripped the Twi'lek's tchin, twisting it sharply. His right hand had his lightsaber in it again, this time ignited and none too far from cutting through the alien's sensitive head-tail. Neither Radek's face nor his eyes bore any mirth at all as he glared down at the gasping Twi'lek, who had fallen to his knees.

"Analysts couldn't figure out if the droids were too stupid to figure a Twi'lek from a nuna, or if the Twi'lek was too stupid to figure an insult from a challenge." He released the lekku and deactivated his lightsaber, stepping over the writhing creature. He paused and hissed, "Don't you ever touch me again."

The crowd parted as Radek walked past. He made his way to the corner, where he picked up a towel and wiped his brow, leaning against the wall. The Twi'lek brushed off offers of support and stormed toward the door, probably fuming and harboring lifelong resentment. Radek did not care. It would not be the first time. Stretching out a bit, he closed his eyes to rest a bit.
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Post by Halomek »

“Let me worry about resisting them,” Kail assured Sona. “I’ve got a few theories to try out. Just to have your cooperation is help enough.”

***

“Akain, speaking as a woman, and not as your teacher, have you ever considered that maybe Caitlyn wants you to tell her how you feel about her?" Kalja asked him. "It’s all well and good if a friend does it for you, but it doesn’t mean nearly as much. How can she really be sure of your feelings if she never hears any of this from the source?” She looked at him sternly. “Before you get angry at Caitlyn, you need to have a real heart-to-heart with her, and I mean with words, not feelings. Make sure there is no ambiguity between you two.”
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Post by Mir »

Sona shrugged, slowly. "Well, what we could do, is have me use them on you, in small doses, so you'd be able to tell when they were being used, particularly on you. Different tribes, well, their pheromones will feel slightly different, but the general effect is the same. But, you said earlier that you didn't want me to use them on you at all." She finished with a grin. "What are those theories you're going to try out?"

=-=-=-=-=-=

"I'm not angry with her. I'm angry with myself. For allowing my feelings to be that transparent, that Daria was able to pick up on them. For not telling Daria not to tell Caitlyn about them. Caitlyn's behaved differently around me after she found out, clearly she doesn't like the fact that I have feelings for her." He kept quiet about the last part. He was angry with himself about the fact that he even had feelings for Caitlyn. It harkened back to part of his argument as to why he wasn't angry when there had seemed like a relationship between Renato and Caitlyn.

=-=-=-=-=-=

She didn't leave the library during working hours. Not usually. But Jana had wanted to brush up on her lightsaber skills, particularly since she would have to imitate Kalja through the Force and probably through the lightsaber as well. She had found a group of people watching her padawan train against a Balin. It had brought a smile to her face, to see how well he had been progressing.

The smile had quickly died when she saw what he did afterwards, to the Twi'lek Jedi Knight. Because of her position, she knew most if not all of the Jedi who were at the Academy. They all came into the library at one point in time. But this Twi'lek, his name escaped her. It didn't matter though, Radek was going to apologize.

She waited until he walked away from the group, and into a corner. She made her way towards him, as the rest of the group cleared out. She stopped in front of him and folded her arms over her chest, and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't too upset with her padawan, but he didn't need to know that. Jana cleared her throat and waited.
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Post by Archangel »

Radek looked up at the noise, already knowing he was not going to be happy with what he saw. Unlike he normally did around his master, he did not suppress his reaction: he sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming.

It seemed for a few moments as if she was waiting for him to say something, but when it became clear that he would not, she asked him, "What was that about?"

Radek, staying seated, shrugged a little, his expression starting to turn sheepish now. "He deserved it," he said simply.

"And you're the one to mete out punishment for harmless words, I take it?"

Radek frowned. "I may have gone a little overboard," he offered, "but I think I was justified. He needed to learn humility, so I humbled him."

"You humiliated him. There's a difference," she said, her tone still stern.

Radek stood now, towering over his master at his full height. On his feet, he ended up standing quite close to her, so he was looking very steeply down. She slowly craned her neck up to meet his eyes - slowly, more than likely out of maintaining her authority rather than because the change was surprising for her. "He's like all the rest of 'em," Radek said softly, "Thinking they're so much better than everyone else, that if you don't do it their way, you don't deserve to breathe. And because I don't do things his way, he insulted me and he struck me."

"And you think that means he deserves to be injured and threatened?"

Radek looked away from his master's eyes, a sneer briefly passing over his lips. "He'll have nothing more than a bruise, if that - and what he deserved was for me to run him through." But knowing the lecture that would soon come - if not from his own master, then from someone else's - he also knew that she was right, and that his actions had been unwarranted. He could have just walked away. He did not need anyone's approval, and he should not have cared if anyone thought him a coward or a lowlife. And certainly, no one thought more highly of him after his display. But it did make him feel better - and therein lay the rub, he knew.

Dejectedly, he dropped back into his seat.
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Post by Halomek »

OOC: Ignore the quotation marks for Kail in my last post. He’s still speaking telepathically.

IC: “And it could be that Caitlyn is angry with you because you are keeping your feelings for her bottled up, even though she knows otherwise,” Kalja suggested. “If she knows how you feel, but you haven’t said anything to her about it, what do you think that means to her?”

She sighed. “Look, I’m not Jana, I don’t like to stick my nose into my student’s relationships, but this tension is clearly affecting both of you for the worse. This needs to be settled before it gets out of control. You have my advice and my trust; that’s as far as I plan to get involved in this. This is something I want you two to take care of on your own. I’m only going to step in further if I feel that I have no choice.”

***

{{You’ve just mentioned one of my ideas,}} Kail informed her. {{I plan to go at this from every angle, within and without. I had another idea about the possibility of my seeing your pheromones with the Force and then using it to keep them from reaching my nose.}}

He grabbed a clean shirt and put it on. {{Of course, that would only help to prevent being exposed to them, it wouldn’t solve anything if they somehow got into my system. A third option I plan to try is to see if I can look inward and discover how it affects me so I can stop it at its source. I won’t give up until I find a solution.}}
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Post by Mir »

OOC: I had figured as much.

Jana doesn't stick her nose in her student's relationships, nor does she like to. How can she when he has no relationships, be it friends or otherwise? How did Kalja come to that conclusion?

Edit: Forgot about Radek, lol

IC:

"I don't know what it means to her. She doesn't tell me anything about anything." He said. He shrugged. "I don't think its going to get out of control. We're fine the way we are, and since she doesn't have any feelings for me, I don't think things are going to get worse." Akain said.

=-=-=-=-=-=

"What I don't understand, is why exactly you don't like them." She said. "There's nothing wrong with them, and in fact, they make certain things much better and enjoyable." Sona replied. "I don't understand why you want to stop them, in fact, I think its an indicator that you don't trust me." She said.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Jana put a hand on both of Radek's shoulders. He looked up and she smiled. "While he deserved to be punished for what he did, and instructed on how better to behave himself, you went too far. The punishment should fit the crime. All he did was strike you and insult you. He didn't attempt to truly physically harm you. I'm not going to go on and on about what you should have done. I think you know what you should have done." She straightened and her hands fell to her sides.

"So you're not going to punish me?" Radek asked and Jana nodded slowly. "Why not?"

"Because to be honest, you're beyond the stage where punishments would do anything to you. You're not a child and you know what you should do and what you shouldn't do." Jana replied. "I've tried to teach you to the best of my ability and now you have to show me whether I was successful or not." She turned and started to walk away. "Make me believe in my ability to mentor and teach, Radek." She said before departing and leaving him alone.
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Post by Pryde »

Jessica had been at the training arena long enough to have seen everything that happened. She had seen Radek training and watched the young man with great interest. He had potential, sure enough, but he was arrogant and prideful. A weakness that could easily be exploited in combat.

She was about to go over and talk to him when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a woman watching him. She'd seen her only briefly before and knew her to be one of the librarians. Apparenly she was also this young man's Master. Jessica let the two talk privately for a moment and approached Radek only after his Master had left.

"Excuse me," she said shyly, "if I may."

She sat down next to the boy without waiting for a response and smiled as she watched the other padawans deep in training. "I was watching you train early," she said after awhile, "You're pretty good."

Radek cast her a side-long glance, raising an eyebrow. "Pretty good?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean that as an insult," Jessica quickly apologized. "I just, well... It's not important."

She turned to him and held out a hand. "My name's Jessica Sterling."
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Post by Halomek »

OOC: Considering that Jana tried to set Kalja up with her brother, she struck me as the matchmaker type. I was also assuming that Radek wasn’t her first apprentice, but if that’s not the case, then just ignore that part of my post.

IC: Kail shook his head. {{On the contrary, Sona, I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t trust you. I don’t believe that you would abuse your gifts, and I also don’t believe that Tone meant any harm either, but as a Linshi Monk I need to know that I have full control over my body and mind if I am ever to achieve enlightenment. It’s not a trust issue, it’s a faith issue.}}

***

Kalja cocked her head just a bit as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow inquiringly. “You think she has no feelings for you? Are you absolutely sure about that?”
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Post by Mir »

Sona sighed. "I don't fully believe you, but I guess I'll help you." A mischevious grin came across her features. "Do you want to try my method out first?"

=-=-=-=-=

"Yes, I'm sure of that. All she does is yell at me, or get angry with me, or find ways to get upset with me. Whenever anything goes wrong, its always my fault. And I can tell she isn't joking when she gets upset either. I've never sensed any kind of feelings from her, just relief and gratefulness when I save her. Maybe that's why I do it so much, for those few times she isn't getting angry with me. If there are feelings, she's pretty damn good at hiding them." He said.
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Post by Archangel »

Radek stifled his sigh this time. Suddenly people wanted to talk to him - and, most surprising of all, a woman. Clearly, she was new to the Temple.

But what Jana had said struck home. He had heard the lectures plenty of times, and he had been punished plenty of times, and still he had not changed. Part of him wondered if he was even capable of improvement, or if he was destined to be the hopeless reject of the Academy. Jana would tell him otherwise, if he asked; she believed in him, for whatever reason. For her, he decided, he would have to start improving.

After a moment, he snorted a laugh, his expression turning wry. He shook her hand, somehow without seeming to move the rest of his body in the slightest, maintaining his languid posture. "Radek Vidar," he returned, "asshole extraordinaire." He craned his neck to each side until he received a satisfying pop, then leaned back, watching Jessica through half-closed lids. "So," he said after a few moments, "How are you liking Onderon so far?"
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Post by Pryde »

"It's beautiful," Jessica said but she didn't elaborate. The two of them fell silent for a moment until finally Jessica decided to say what she had come over here to say.

"Look, I know you don't want to hear this coming from a complete stranger and all, but I saw what had happened with the Twi'lek."

"You're right, I don't want to hear it," Radek replied, crossing his arms as his expression grew darker.

Jessica simply ignored the comment and continued speaking as though she hadn't been interrupted at all. "I hate to ask you this and I hope I'm not intruding, but why do you think the Twi'lek was so angry?"

Radek didn't answer the question, he glanced away from her and sat perfectly still.

"He was envious of you," Jessica explained, "You have skills and you know it, but pride is double-edged sword. It can be both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. Pride breeds arrogance and arrogance clouds your judgment. If you're not careful your opponents can exploit that to their advantage."
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Post by Archangel »

Radek looked at her again, a smirk drifting back across his face. "So I've been told," he rejoined. Another few moments passed until he sat upright at last. "Look," he said, "I know you're trying to be helpful, but I've heard every lecture on every one of my vices so many times, I could probably make a fortune on self-help holovids."

He paused, shaking his head. "Besides, droids don't know arrogance from chocolate pudding, so at the rate I'm going, I really don't have to worry about my 'opponents,' Miss Sterling." He stood and made a mock-bow. "But, if it will make you feel better, I'd be happy to remember that I'm only human from time to time. I'm sure it will be eminently relevant when it comes time to go shopping in Iziz, which is about all we seem to do around here."
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Post by Halomek »

Kalja wanted to tell Akain that he was wrong and that she knew he was wrong because Caitlyn had told her about her feelings for him, but she couldn’t. What Caitlyn had told her had been said in the utmost confidence. She couldn’t betray that trust, even if it meant solving this dilemma became a great deal harder. All she could do was hint and try and steer him in the right direction, but Akain, for all his finer points, wasn’t grasping her subtle, and not so subtle, directions.

If possible, Kalja would have stayed and tried to hammer in what Akain was not picking up on, but she had business with Jana that needed to be attended to today. As she guided her student to her door, Kalja had a sudden burst of inspiration. She secretly hoped that it would prove to be the eye-opener Akain needed.

“I’ll be happy to talk with you about this some more, but for now I’m afraid we must wrap it up,” she explained. “I have some business that I need to take care of before the day is over.”

As he stood out in the hallway, Kalja added one last thing. “Please think about what we discussed. You might also want to think about why it is that you’re the one who consistently saves Caitlyn. Isn’t it interesting that you’re always the first person to know that she’s in danger? Doesn’t that strike you as a little unusual?”

“As I said, think about it, and please, for me, try talking to her,” she concluded with a smile before closing her door.

***

{{I would like to try that first,}} Kail agreed, {{but not today. I’ll need to prepare before we attempt it. Tomorrow we’ll give it a try.}}

He sat down crosslegged on the floor. {{For now, I thought it might be a good time to start your telepathy training. Please, find a spot that makes you comfortable and we’ll get started.}}

OOC: I really don’t have much else to add on Kail’s end, so after you post for Sona, I figure we can leave the actual training in the background.
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Post by Pryde »

"I wouldn't worry about boredom," Jessica cautioned him, "There are things happening now that could endanger the lives of everyone in the galaxy and you'll be needed to help defend against it."

She reached into her robes and withdrew the holograph of Trayus then tossed it at him. Radek easily caught it and glanced at it before giving her a confused look. "What's this?"

"That man led an army against the Jedi at Taylon. I was one of the few who had fought against him personally. The others, except for one, did not survive."

She stood then and stepped closer to him taking the holograph from his hands and placing it back inside her pocket. "The Sith have returned and they're stronger than ever. Something is happening to the galaxy and this man is involved. You've heard of the massacre at Vorzyd V have you not? Or the attacks on the Republic and the Empire? War is about to break out and the Jedi are going to get caught right in the middle. If we're not ready we will be killed."

She was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and glanced back at him. "Look, just think about what I've said. It's important to know one's strengths, but it's also important to know one's limits. Humility teaches us to be mindful of our own weakness."

Then she turned and left the training arena, heading in the direction of the archives to continue her search for the Sith...
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Post by Archangel »

After she left, Radek snorted derisively. The nerve; younger than him and presuming to tell him how to be better - just like all the rest. So she fought a Sith on Taylon; he fought one less than a mile from where he now stood. And sure, it may not have been the leader of the army, but he did not let his opponent get away.

He realized, of course, what he was thinking. He rebuked himself mentally; he was supposed to be exercising humility. He sighed and resisted the urge to punch the wall; the last thing he needed on top of a stinging rebuke from a younger woman with a higher rank was a broken hand. He stretched a bit, mostly just passing time until he was sure that Jessica would not be between him and his room. After that, he strolled out of the training area, headed for his bunk. At least there, it was unlikely any strangers would walk up and decide he needed a lecture on how to improve himself.
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Post by kashus_Draith »

She had watched the little dispute between the Twi’lek and the relatively attractive man. She didn’t expect to see such aggression between Jedi when she decided to join the Order.

I thought Jedi were supposed to control their feelings and emotions, but here it seemed to be something you would find in a bar. Men are to aggressive and they let their feelings get the best of them, or should I say their pride.

She held her newly crafted lightsaber in her hand and marveled over the design that she decided to base it on. She had based it on a design that she had seen in a data sheet in the Jedi archives. It was a design that was closely based on the late Obi’wan Kenobi’s lightsaber.

She snapped the lightsaber to her belt as she saw another Jedi walk up to here.

“Did you see what happen in the Training area, Raven?” The young Jedi asked with a somewhat exciting look on her face.

“Yes, I did.” Raven answered.

“I can’t believe that Padawon did that to that Jedi Knight.”

“That Twi’lek was a Jedi Knight?” She was now intrigued.

“Yeah, and that new guy brought him down to his knees like it was nothing.”

“Who’s this new guys name?” Raven asked.

”Radek.”

“Hmm, I feel bad for the Jedi Knight, and I think the Padawon training under the Jedi Knight does too.”
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Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn was being restless as usual. She had stayed in her room as long as she could but Salvatore had been driving her nuts so she decided to go for a walk. Problem was leaving the room didn't necessarily free her from her little bouncing burden of joy. The cat sat contentedly on her shoulder as she wandered the halls of the temple.

Her talk with Kalja had left her lost in thought about what to do with Akain. She knew what her heart wanted to do but the sensible side of her couldn't allow her to do it. She knew it'd be better for both of them if she simply ignored her feelings for him, but as certain as she was that that was the right course it just felt--wrong to her.

"This is giving me a headache," she grumbled quietly to herself.

"Hey look, everyone, it's wittle Vader," a boy suddenly called out, "Killed any Jedi lately?"

Caitlyn spun on him angrily, ignoring the sneers from his friends. "Hey, why don't you shut up?"

"Oooh, I'm shaking in my boots! What are you going to do? Force Choke me?"

"I'm thinking about it!"

The boys just laughed at her. "Look at how her face is turning red," one of them noted.

"Did anyone ever tell you you look short when you're angry," another said between fits of laughter.

"I'd totally go out with her if she wasn't into older men," cried a third.

Caitlyn stood there with her hands balled into fists. She glared at them all wishing she could hurt them with just a stare. Finally she spun on her heel and hurried away from them, turning the corner at the end of the hallway.

"Oh look, wittle Vader's running away! Run home to Delth, wittle Vader, he'll protect you!"

Their laughter followed her around the corner and for several yards after that. She had been so distracted by their taunts that she completely didn't notice the boy walking towards her. She slammed into him and fell backwards onto her rump, poor little Sal digging his claws in deep to stop himself from falling.

"Hey, what's the big idea," Caitlyn said, rubbing her butt with one hand as she looked up at him, "Why don't you watch where I'm going?"
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Post by Mir »

Sona just smiled. She sat, mirroring Kail's position so that their knees were touching. He had his eyes closed and she couldn't resist. She leaned forward and bounced a finger on his nose. He opened his eyes and she grinned. He scowled and closed his eyes again. "Okay, ready when you are." She said. "But I want to try my way with the pheromones once we're done." She added.

=-=-=-=-=-=

She had a point there. He didn't know why it was that he almost inherently knew when Caitlyn had a problem and needed him. It was something that would bear considerable thought in the next few days. He had Lyli's threat and Deresnova as well. He remembered Deresnova, but for what reason, he wasn't sure. He'd have to figure that out as well.

He had a lot of pondering ahead of him, and he left to do just that.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Salvatore was Caitlyn's little bouncing bundle of joy, not burden, and while he would have corrected her if he was telepathic, he wasn't. When she hit the man and fell to the ground, Sal dug in, eliciting a little cry from Caitlyn. He springboarded forward, landing on Radek's chest. He scurried and ended up with his face in Radek's. He looked at the man, noted his disimilarity from his father and then smiled. He'd made a new friend. "I'm Salvatore." He said, his tail switching from side to side. "Who are you?"
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Post by Archangel »

The girl had practically bounced off of Radek's larger, sure-footed frame, leaving him standing. He reached up and pulled the little clambering creature away from him, holding its back with one hand. He held it at arm's length, examining it for a moment as it flailed its little legs, trying to find traction on something. "There's something you don't see every day," he said at last. Ignoring what the creature had said, he knelt and dropped it to the ground.

He turned to the woman who had barreled into him. "Sorry 'bout that," he told her, "Been kind of a long day. It didn't occur to me to keep track of your path and mine, too." He smirked and held out his hand. "Radek Vidar," he introduced himself.

When she took his hand, he pulled her to her feet. "Caitlyn DeVries," she said, her voice still tinged with frustration.

Radek had not missed the laughter, nor the nicknames. Even as disjointed as he was from genuine social connection, that did not keep him from overhearing the gossip. He jerked his head toward the corner. "That about you, Miss DeVries?"
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Post by Pryde »

"Yeah, why? You going to make fun of me too," Caitlyn asked, watching the boy suspiciously.

Meanwhile, Salvatore had climbed up her leg again and deposited himself on her shoulder. He watched the boy with great interest, ready to defend his mother at a moment's notice should it come to that.
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Post by Archangel »

Radek looked amused, furrowing his brow out of incredulity more than anything else. "Wasn't on my to-do list," he jested, "but I'm sure I could squeeze it in if you really want me to." In truth, he did not care for the sort of insults and ridicule that went on among a lot of the Padawans and other youngsters at the Academy... as much as he might have been like them that way.

Besides that, Delth was the sort of man he had a great deal of respect for - a man of action who had managed never to get himself killed. A mercenary's perfect role model, Radek figured. This girl might have had her own reasons for idolizing the man, but Radek decided that it was probably not as relevant as the fact that they were probably two of a kind in that regard - at least in the Academy.
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Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn seemed satisfied by the Radek's answer and allowed herself to relax just a little bit. "I think I'll pass," she said finally, "I get enough of that already...,"

As she talked the boys from before came around the corner and deliberately walked passed them. Still laughing and congratulating themselves for their ingenuity. "From jerks like them," she finished, raising her voice higher so the boys could hear her which only seemed to make them laugh harder.

Her hands balled into fists and she stamped her little foot in frustration. "Keep laughing, you stupid jerks, I'll throttle each of you just like I did Jonas!"

Her threat, however, fell on deaf ears and the boys kept laughing long after they were out of earshot.
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Post by Archangel »

Radek tried, unsuccessfully, to contain a smirk at the girl's antics. She seemed truly perturbed by the boys' disrespect, and it amused Radek more than a little. Of course, the boys were obnoxious enough that even he wanted to put a few dents in their skulls, so he could only imagine how Caitlyn - the object of their ridicule - must have been feeling. "Eh, forget that lot," he said after they had gone, "They'll amount to nothing until they figure out that they really are nothing."

He paused, then smiled thinly, a little genuine emotion managing to shine through. Perhaps he had found a kindred spirit among the Jedi after all. "So, who's Jonas, and how's he recovering?" He paused and grinned. "More importantly, did he deserve it?"
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Post by Pryde »

"Of course he deserved it," Caitlyn exclaimed, though her comment may have been prompted more from the fact that she was still angry than anything else, "If I saw him right now I'd hit him again!"

Then she thought about Radek's earlier question and shook her head. "And who cares how he's recovering? I haven't seen him since I punched him, which suits me just fine. Those three, though," she said with a nod of her head in the direction in which the boys had retreated, "they're his friends. I wish I'd given 'em all the same treatment."
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Post by Archangel »

Radek suddenly felt like he was listening to himself rant about his fellow students at the Academy, and no sooner had he realized that than he thought that he sounded awfully immature and overly concerned with punishing people whose stupidity would be their own reward. He was about to invite Caitlyn to eat with him when recognition struck him.

"Wait," he said, "You're DeVries? Master Leidias' new Padawan?" He had not meant to sound so incredulous, and he thought in retrospect that he could have been more tactful... and nearly laughed out loud when he noticed that he was considering tact at all. He gave a lopsided grin and said, gesturing to Salvatore, "Did you bring this little guy back with you after you found her, or was that Mr. Karna's doing?"
Pryngles
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Post by Pryde »

"No, we sort of brought him back together," Caitlyn explained, though she refrained from making any comments about how much of a nuisance he was... Well, how much of a nuisance they both were. "What about you? I'd say I haven't seen you around here before, but then I haven't really spent much time here myself."
Centurio
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Post by Archangel »

"Oh, I've been around," Radek explained, "I'm Master Dophi's Padawan. She's one of the librarians, so I spend almost all my time either in the library or in the training area these days. I haven't anything else to do." He paused, looking around them for a moment. "Where are you headed? I could walk you there. I'm sure your admirers--" he jerked his head in the direction the three youths had gone, "--won't mind." He shrugged a little. "Like I said, I don't have anything else to do."
Pryngles
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Post by Pryde »

"I wasn't going anywhere in particular," Caitlyn said, "I just needed to get out for a bit. I can't stand being cooped up for too long."

She thought about that a moment then gave him a wry smile. "Come to think of it there really isn't much to do around here, is there?"
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